- South West Scotland Transport Alliance creating top 10 priorities on A75 and A77
- Priorities discussed with Transport Secretary during meeting on ferry to Belfast
- Stena Line says road deficiency “will inevitably curtail investment”
Representatives from the South West Scotland Transport Alliance have met Fiona Hyslop MSP, the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Transport, on a Stena Line sailing from Cairnryan to Belfast, to discuss the need for ongoing improvements to the A75 and A77.
SWSTA members Stena Line and Belfast Harbour discussed with the Cabinet Secretary the priority stretches of road improvements, following an initial discussion with First Minister John Swinney during a visit to Crocketford on the A75 late last year.
The Alliance is currently consulting with local politicians, chambers of commerce and hauliers, as part of the SWSTA’s Safer, Greener, Better campaign, and will publish its ranked priority list of improvements later this year.
The SWSTA has previously released data showing the competitive disadvantage Scotland faces as a result of the condition of the roads, including that travelling the same distance (103 miles) on the A75 from Stranraer to the M6 takes around 2 hours and 30 minutes, whereas the same distance on the A55 between competitor Welsh port Holyhead and the M6 takes only 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Polling conducted by the SWSTA has also shown:
- More than 90% of locals want full or partial upgrades of the A75 and A77, with 75% focussed on safety
- Over 60% believe the roads discourage investment, and around 50% believe they prevent tourism
- Nearly 75% believe that governments don’t understand the needs of south west Scotland
Speaking after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Fiona Hyslop MSP said: “The strategic importance of both the A75 and A77 to Scotland’s economy is recognised by this Government. We value the critical link they provide to the wider markets in the rest of the UK and Europe by connecting the ports at Cairnryan to the wider trunk road network.
“In recent weeks I have chaired the Convention of South of Scotland discussion on transport, met the Leaders of Dumfries and Galloway and South Ayrshire Councils, had a roundtable discussion with campaigners calling for road improvements to the A75 and A77 in Girvan, and also extended an offer to form a “South West Scotland Roads – Focus Group”. The purpose of this group is to improve the flow of information with the campaign groups and wider stakeholders, and look at longer term strategic investment for both the A75 and A77. I’ve also appeared before the Petitions Committee in Parliament to set out our latest thinking on the A75 and A77, and today (April 3rd) I was pleased to meet with members of the South West Scotland Transport Alliance.
“On the A77 we have completed five major improvements totalling £64 million, including the £29 million Maybole Bypass. In terms of the A75 we have completed six major roads improvement projects with a total value of over £50 million. While the UK Autumn Budget marked a step in the right direction, it does not make up for fourteen years of underinvestment – austerity cannot be undone in one year. We are still facing significant pressures on our capital budget, which is significantly affecting our ability to maintain investment on all of Scotland’s transport infrastructure.
“Additionally, following the allocation of funding from the UK Government we have wasted no time in progressing the design and assessment work to consider options for realigning the A75 trunk road at the villages of Springholm and Crocketford.”
Paul Grant, Trade Director, Irish Sea, at Stena Line said: “Our discussions with the Scottish Government are more valuable and productive now than they have been for many years. As was the case when colleagues met the First Minister last year, we know from our meeting today that the Cabinet Secretary fully understands the problems being caused by the quality of the A75 and A77.
“We know that hauliers and other travellers are put off using the ports at Cairnryan because of the poor connections. That’s bad for the economy. But this is primarily a safety issue. The simple fact is that people are at risk on the A75 and A77 in their current state.
“The unfortunate reality is that Stena Line must base its investment decisions on the infrastructure conditions we encounter, and there is no question that the state of these roads placed uncertainty on our future investment.”
Michael Robinson, Port Director of Belfast Harbour, said: “The importance of the A75 and A77 should not be under-estimated. These are critical connections for haulage and tourism. Making them safer and better would undoubtedly help protect lives, jobs and encourage investment.
“The case for change is clear. We – as part of the SWSTA – are keen to continue working with ministers and politicians from all parties and parliaments to ensure that improvements can be delivered.”
